To Born Free, the individual animal matters. Each needs protection. And each can serve as an ambassador for an entire species.

Chimpanzees with ethologist Jane Goodall--Jean-Marc Bouju/AP

We are particularly devoted to the care and protection of primates because of the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas. There, 186 acres of land provide more than 600 macaques, vervets, and baboons with open space to climb, relax, and engage in all sorts of monkey business—as nature intended. Witnessing the natural behavior of these intelligent, charismatic animals reminds us why we do what we do—to ensure that wild animals can live a life free from restraints and abuse.

While we give these individuals the best life we can, we also want to help all other primates through our advocacy work, including legislation. I am very excited to share with you that the Captive Primate Safety Act has been reintroduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Sponsored by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in the House and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and David Vitter (R-LA) in the Senate, H.R.2856/S.1463 prohibits interstate commerce of monkeys, apes, and other primates for the exotic pet trade.

This bill has been introduced before, which means that legislators are already well-informed on the issue. It passed the House by an overwhelming majority in 2009 and passed the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in 2012. With so much previous experience, both the sponsors and Born Free are ready to lobby hard and rally supporters.

This legislation ticks all the boxes: animal welfare, public safety, and conservation. The threat that private possession poses to animal welfare is a sad reality that we encounter every day when rescuing primates for our sanctuary. Although monkeys, particularly baby ones, are cute and cuddly, the fact is that these are wild animals. They cannot be, and should not be, domesticated. Private owners of these “pets” often keep them in tiny cages or dark basements without adequate food or care. Primates are highly social animals, and, when alone, they experience loneliness, distress, and depression. To “tame” them and to make them less dangerous, owners often remove monkeys’ teeth and fingernails and keep the animals tethered with tight restraints. This is no life for an intelligent, agile animal that yearns for freedom and for relationships with other monkeys.

As wild animals, primates also pose a threat to public safety. People frequently adopt monkeys as babies, and then are unable to contain their increasingly erratic behaviors as they grow older and stronger. In captivity, primates often express their psychological distress in the form of frustration and violence toward others. Born Free maintains a database of exotic animal incidents on our website, and the dozens of primate episodes include highly disturbing encounters that left either the human or the animal maimed or dead. Since 1990, more than 270 people—including dozens of children—have been injured by primates. One well-known case happened in 2009, when a pet chimpanzee mauled a woman nearly to death in Connecticut. Primates also pose disease risks to humans, including the potential transmission of Ebola, tuberculosis, and herpes B.

Finally, the trade in exotic animals is a global conservation issue. When there is demand for primates as “pets” in the U.S., there is incentive for traders overseas to capture and breed these animals. Many species of primates are endangered, and wildlife trafficking threatens their fragile populations.

Congress must act without delay. In 2013, there is absolutely no excuse for primates to be shipped from one state to another, ordered like a book or a new dress over the Internet, just to languish in captivity as “pets.” Primates are easily obtained via the Internet and through out-of-state dealers and auctions, making federal legislation necessary to support the efforts of state law enforcement.

Wildlife belongs in the wild—or at least in an accredited, secluded sanctuary. Join me in supporting the Captive Primate Safety Act, which will make the U.S. a safer and happier place for both humans and primates.

"Service Animal" Scammers (New Yorker): An increasing number of your neighbors have been keeping company with their pets in human-only establishments simply by claiming that the creatures are their licensed companion animals and are necessary to their mental well-being.